H
by Kanade 8
Summary: The detective H has been called in to work on the Kira case. Can she help apprehend the mass murderer without anyone else dying? Will Kira succeed in killing her, if his conventional way won't work? H's path is fraught with danger. Will she succeed?
1. Chapter 1

Fan fiction-Death Note-_Italics are thoughts _I do not own Death Note!

Prologue (Wammy's House)

"What's your name?" The kindly looking old man, Wammy, asked. My truthful response is simple.

"I don't have one." My monotonous voice soft. Wammy furrowed his brow, and rubbed his chin.

"Would you like one?" He smiled. I knew that he knew how I would answer.

"Yes. I would like a name." My voice is slightly more energetic but still monotonous. I heard a sound by the door. I turned and saw a boy with dark bags under his eyes, and messy black hair standing there. I turned around, but kept this boy in my peripheral vision, and spoke to Wammy.

"Call me…H."

Years later...

I watched my computer in satisfaction. Gina Nelson, a notorious female serial killer, had been caught. My burner cell phone rang. I hate having one, but it was necessary sometimes. Probably a call from the Director of the FBI. I answered it, and I was right.

"Yes, Director?" I was bored now. I had solved the case, (They were lost before.) and the criminal had been apprehended.

"I just want to congratulate you on a job well done. Thank you."

"You're welcome." That was it, the exchange was over. I hung up, and threw the cell phone somewhere, not caring where. I was incredibly hungry, (like I always am) so I put on shoes, grabbed some money, and walked out the door of my small, rented, nondescript apartment. I was headed towards a small market I knew, owned by a family. It has the best produce I've ever bought. The strawberries in particular were ripe, juicy, sweet and succulent. I love food, and I was on my way to by some. The door was open, and I had one foot out the door when my burner cell phone rang. Briiing! Briing! I was going to ignore it, but when I heard the voice of the caller, I searched for the phone.

"What?" I answered the phone crisply. The caller was Wammy. I would recognize that voice anywhere, but in our business, names are subject to change.

"Hello H. Do you want to work on the Kira case?" He asks, quite unnecessarily.

"Yes." My answer is quick, monotonous as always, but inside, I'm excited, not just for the challenge, but for the thought of Kira going to jail. _Murder is murder. To quote Gandalf, "Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends."__**[1]**_

"I knew you would. If you're not here already, catch the next flight to Tokyo. Someone will meet you. Remember, palindrome. "

"Fine. I'll be there tomorrow. Bye." With that, the conversation ended. I was going to Japan, but first, I was going to buy strawberries.

~Time-skip~

"Flight 113 disembarking to Narita Airport." The speaker is bored, tired. Understandable since this is probably one of numerous, back and forth flights from America to Japan. Much to my chagrin, it took rather a long time before we were allowed off the plane. When the announcement finally came, I was among first 15 people of the plane. Another advantage of first class. Hey, I earn money. Plus I wanted to treat myself. Big mistake. Sure, the seats are comfy, but some of the people, they seem incredibly snobby and stuck up, giving me looks like I don't belong here. I just don't like dealing with people in general, with a few exceptions. Customs wasn't incredibly long and tedious, but of course, it wasn't a walk in the park

After customs, I went and got my small, blue business suitcase. Wammy wasn't here, no one had approached me, and I had nothing to do. So I went to the Starbucks and bought Chai tea, a piece of strawberry cheesecake. I would've bought some more food, but that was the last of the money I had with me. The seating area for the Starbucks didn't have any windows, and I wanted to sit by one today. I found a great seat in the top left corner of the common area. It even had a chess set. I left all my books at the other apartment. I waited, killing time, messing around with the chess set. I am incredible at chess, but I had no one to play it with.

After a while, I was approached by a person. He had messy black hair, and his posture was slouched. Even though he was wearing shoes, he wasn't wearing socks. He was pale and had bags under his eyes. It was him.

"You need someone to play with." It was a statement. I responded with one of my own.

"You aren't here to play chess. Yreka Bakery is very good." I finish of my cake. "However, there is none here."

"Desserts, I stressed." He responded in a palindrome, so this was L. "They are important." The fact that he was L was confirmed when I saw Wammy discreetly headed our way.

"Both of you?" The question was vague enough. I stood up, and threw my beverage away. Wammy finally got to us. I walked with him Wammy and L to a car. Not a clichéd black government car, this one was a clichéd black limo.

"We can talk in here." L told me.

"That doesn't mean we will." I mused.

"You are as always, H." Wammy smiled.

"What do you know about the Kira case?" L asked.

"Kira needs a face and a name to kill. Some of his victims left notes. It was L, Do you know Gods of Death Love Apples? Kira is most likely a top student. Also, Kira killed 12 FBI agents. He also has or had access to the case files." I was going to go into more detail, but Wammy interrupted me.

"You hacked into the database didn't you H." His smile is wry, Wammy is just joking.

"No. I could've, but that would be too easy. What should I call you?"

"I am Watari."

"I am just L for now."

* * *

[1] Written by J. R. R. Tolkien-not an exact quote.


	2. Chapter 2

"Bang." L was pointing at Detective Yagami, with a "gun."

"What? Is this a joke?" Matsuda was shocked and slightly angry.

"No. If He was Kira, Detective Yagami would be dead. You should know what Kira needs to kill someone by now."

"Who is this man?" Detective Yagami demands.

"A common misconception." Watari notes as he leaves.

"This is H. _She _is working with me."

"Whoa, I knew L was working in this case, but someone else too?" Matsuda whistles.

"I've never heard of H" Aizawa is shell shocked.

"H and L are the foremost detectives in the world." Detective Yagami explains to Ukita and Mogi. After that dies down, L speaks again.

"We are the only ones left willing to risk our lives on this. So let's be careful about giving out our names. Let's value our lives."  
"He needs to know their names? I knew about faces, but names? Matsuda asks Detective Yagami.

"Every major criminal whose names were reported erroneously or is unknown is still alive. Detective Yagami explains for Matsuda.

"But if that's the only basis…" Matsuda trailed off.

"Rather than stand around, Why don't we sit over there and talk." L gestures to a luxurious sitting area.

"Turn of your electronic devices and set them on the table. Phones, Laptops, the works." I speak, probably less polite than L would have been.

"You think we might have our phones on talk mode so someone outside can monitor the conversation?" Aizawa is a little disbelieving.

"Just do it." Detective Yagami sounds slightly annoyed.

"It's not that, I just can't stand it when a cellphone rings while I'm talking." L went and crouched/sat on a chair. I sit the exact same way. It's more comfortable, plus I feel more focused than when I'm sitting. I chose a chair and made myself comfy.

"They sit the same way too?" Mogi mutters. "How else are they similar?" L continued.

"Two more things: Don't write down anything I say, or anything H says. Also call me "Ryuzaki" from now on, for safety's sake." I jumped into the conversation here.

"I will be known as Takagi." I decide quickly. There is a moment of silence while the others processed our words.

"Now, all of you, please sit." Politely, the others obey the request. A few seconds later Matsuda enthusiastically presents an idea.

"If Kira needs names and faces to kill, then why don't we tell the media to omit that from coverage? That could limit the number of victims."

"No. Ordinary people would die if that happened." I speak up.

"Ordinary people?" Ukita questions.

"Why?" Aizawa scratched his head.

"Well, Kira is childish and hates losing." L stirs more sugar into a cup of tea that he had poured before.

"How do you know?" Detective Yagami was not stirring or drinking tea.

"You must have guessed it. I am also childish and hate to lose."

"Um...L, No, Ryuzaki, Could you explain it more clearly please?" Detective Yagami's expression is slightly confused.

"Very well." L sips his tea. I had already finished mine. It was quite delicious. "That time I challenged Kira using a T.V broadcast…Kira, who as far as we know had only killed criminals until then, did not hesitate to kill "Me." That is, the death row inmate that he thought was me." Ryuzaki set his tea on the table. "Then when I said that he was in the Kanto region around Tokyo, he focused on Japanese criminals. By the time the FBI agents were eliminated, he was concentrating on Kanto area criminals. Every time you challenge him, he responds cockily, with a challenge of his own. "

"He always has to win. He can't stand losing." Matsuda says.

"What do you think would happen if media restrictions were used to shield the targets of someone like that?" I pour myself some more tea.

"He'd say, withhold the criminals? Then I'll just kill the cheaters and liars. I'll even kill innocent people. I will hold the whole world hostage." L continues. "Then he'll say it's your fault, not mine. Those who shield evil people from me are evil themselves. That… is Kira's mental process."

"We should use the media to our advantage. To shield ourselves. Misinformation." I notice that Ryuzaki's (L's) toes are crossed.

"That is a good idea. Fortunately, we have commitments from police in every county, including the U. S. We could broadcast something like this. "U.S outraged over deaths of FBI agents. World outrage. G8 nations have agreed to send a total of 1,500 investigators to Japan for Kira manhunt." L has finally finished his tea. "That's a whole different dimension than finding 12 FBI agents and a handful of investigators."

"He'd start to feel cornered, seeing enemies everywhere. He would get paranoid, and make a move." I continued. A stunned silence followed. Until Ukita spoke up.

"I like it!" He said.

"Yeah, make him think that 1,500 people are after him, when it's only 8. And it's better, because unlike the FBI agents, these people don't exist, so, he can't kill them." Aizawa summarized.

"Ryuzaki, Takagi, I'll run this down to the Director General's office right away. Detective Yagami stood up eagerly.

"But if Kira's cornered, how will we know what move he'll make?" Matsuda leaned forward, discussing his point.

"But these people won't exist." Ukita tells everyone.

"Do you mind if I share my thoughts now?' Ryuzaki placed his hands on his knees. No one responded, so Ryuzaki continued quickly. "Kira is one person, acting alone. He had access to task force information."

Hold on, what is your basis for Kira acting alone?" Aizawa interrupted.

"Let him finish, Aizawa." Yagami gestures for Ryuzaki to continue.

"He need names and faces to murder. He can control time of death, and the victim's actions to a certain extent before he kills them. "Ryuzaki uncaps a pen. "Keep these in mind, and listen."

"December 14. 12 FBI agents enter Japan. December 19, Kira conducts experiments to test his ability to the actions of his victims. So, it took him 5 days to find out about the FBI." I pour myself some more herbal mint tea. "Kira used those tests to obtain the names and faces of the FBI agents, and he kills them. We can assume he had close contact with one of the agents. All 12 bodies were found in Tokyo. "I let Ryuzaki continue. My mind was reviewing everything, all the facts, and the information. I snapped out of my thoughts to hear Yagami ask a question.

"Earlier, you told us you hate losing. By showing yourself to us, aren't you admitting you lost?"

"Yes, but-"He was cut off, I interrupted him.

"Justice will always prevail." Ryuzaki smiled, a small, nice smile.

"Yes, the good guys always win." He responded. A chorus of agreements rang out happily, enthusiastically.

"We need to make sure none of you are Kira." I say, shocking them all.

"Yes. We will talk to each of you alone." After they left, a silence fell between L and I. I went to the window and took in the view. Watari arrives, from his errand.

"H. What name have you chosen? He asks kindly, knowing that I like to switch up my aliases.

"Takagi. Mayumi Takagi. I'll do the field work. I'm the safest from Kira."

"How so?" L asks, suddenly perking up.

"You should know." I can tell that L isn't lying, he truly doesn't remember. "I have no given name."

"I remember now. In this case, not having a name will help us."

"I know." I responded. "Kira must be one of the people the FBI agents were investigating. Otherwise, killing them would be a foolish power play."

"That makes sense." Watari hung up his coat. I picked up a case file that was on the table and started reading it. _ If I had to choose Kira immediately, based on the information I have, my first choice would be Raito Yagami. Second, Detective Yagami, but he's been okayed, for now. But I don't have enough information. Even my first choice is only a 3% probability. _

"This case is moving, but slowly." Watari tell us. "It's almost a complete standstill."

"Is there any footage of the FBI agent's deaths?" I set the case file down and retrieve my computer from my suitcase, which, is in the other room. I return and plug the computer in.

"Yes. It is being retrieved now." L comes over behind me, reading over my shoulder.

"Takagi?" Watari asks to get my attention. "Don't hack anything."

"I could get the information faster, but I suppose that if I'm caught the task force might be disbanded. I ramble to myself. "

"What do you plan to do?" L questioned, walking over to the table and reviewing the case files again.

"I…am going to trace the FBI agent's whereabouts since they arrived in Japan, until they died.


	3. Chapter 3

**L's Perspective**

The tall girl left the hotel without warning or telling us where she was going. Most likely to some of the places she deemed significant.

"She's smart." I walked over to the window, just in time to see her exit the hotel. "I had never heard of her before you told me, Watari."

"H is incredibly smart. She is as smart as, possibly smarter than you. But, she can be quite oblivious." Watari pours the last of the tea.

"What are her stats?"

"Well, I couldn't test her in the conventional way. But from my observations, I'd say that she's extremely creative. I already gave you my evaluation of her intelligence. She is also very adaptable, and emotionally strong. The only time she has any social skills whatsoever is when she's working. Even then her social skills are poor. However she can get information out of anyone."

"This is just based on your observations?" I asked, gathering case files.

"Yes. She refused to do any conventional tests. Most of the tests she did take, she knew they were tests and they were in the form of games. H is a very secretive, mysterious person"

"I'm curious, what makes you think she's as creative as you think she is?" Creativity is one of the hardest things to observe or test, so I wanted to know.

"Well, one time, quite by accident, I was graced with a peek inside of her sketchbook." Watari had a wry smile on his face. "She's quite talented in that area as well."

H's perspective

"Yeah, I've seen him before. He was on the bus that was hijacked. Before the dude shot at nothing and ran into the road." The bus driver told me, fiddling with his hands.

"Did he talk to anyone specifically, like the hijacker? Maybe a passenger or you?" I wrote in a small notebook. He responded with telling me all he remembered about the bus jacking. I thanked him, and went on my way.

"Raye Penber was on assignment here, observing people who might be Kira." I mutter to myself, walking briskly back to the hotel. "Who was he following?" I burst into the room and grab my computer. L is observing me. I pay no attention to him.

"What do you think?" He asks.

"That question is riddled with loopholes. Amend it, and I will answer." My fingers fly over the keyboard. It was going to be a long case.

~Time Skip~

The task force was going over the tapes of the FBI agents deaths. I stare at the surveillance tapes of Raye Penber's death.

"The envelope is gone." I stated simply, sitting in the Lotus position, now preferred.

"Yes, I noticed that too." L points out the envelope for the others to see.

"I can't believe you noticed that, you two." Aizawa says, squinting at the video.

"Nothing like an envelope was found on Raye Penber's body though." Yagami's brow is furrowed.

"Which means that the envelope was left on the train." I decided to let Ryuzaki do all the talking, since he has more patience.

"Maybe that envelope had the file with the FBI agents in Japan…" Yagami speculates, smoothing his mustache, a nervous tick I had noticed.

"And Kira got it from Penber, then killed him when he got off." Matsuda spouts off, forgetting a key detail.

"Penber got the file on the train, a 15:21. He couldn't have had it before he boarded." Ryzaki corrects. "Get me the footage for December 27 from the Yamanote line." Aizawa complies with the demand. "The last image of Raye Penber alive…It looks like he's twisting back to look at the train."

"I'm pretty sure Kira was there." I voice my thoughts. "I can't confirm this of course."

"What make you think that?" Ryuzaki seems genuinely curious, so I explain my reasoning.

"Raye Penber twists back, to see something, which suggests that the envelope was left by the exit. Even if Kira was going to get on later to collect the envelope, that poses risks that would definitely hurt him. The envelope could be picked up by someone else on accident, it could have been lost, or stolen by someone thinking that it might have had money in it. It might have, but that is **incredibly **unlikely. In order to prevent something like that happening, he would need to be on the train and retrieve it quickly. Probably right as Raye Penber was dying. Of course, this is all conjecture."

"True, But your reasoning is logical. " Ryuzaki sips tea. This time, the tea is Chamomile flavored, but probably drowned out by the massive amounts of sugar he poured into his cup. "Okay…So Aizawa-san, you keep searching for connections between the FBI agents and other victims, while Yagami and Matsuda focus on Raye Penber. T-" A beeping sound emanated from Watari's workstation.

"Yes… Yes… Please wait a moment. Ryuzaki, it's Ukita at the other office. He tells me he has someone on the line that has interesting information. Takagi, you should hear it too."

"Alright. Tell him the number for line five and tell the person to call here. Takagi and I can listen to it on speaker. Matsuda, turn on your cell phone." As soon as he did, Matsuda's cell phone rang. Ryuzaki snatched it out of his hand pressed a button to put it on speaker phone and answered.

"Yes, this is Suzuki, head of the information processing unit for the Kira case." He held the phone strangely; it was sort of dangled from his grip. He walked through an arch to another room and I followed him.

"Um, Yes. Raye Penber's fiancé, our daughter is missing." The old woman's voice on the other end is fraught with worry.

"Raye Penber's fiancé?!" Ryuzaki's expression mirrors his tone. Surprise.

"Yes. Naomi Misora, Our daughter was engaged to Raye Penber. They moved to Japan in the middle of December, and were going to visit over the New Year."

"Naomi Misora? I've heard that name before." One glance from Ryuzaki and Watari is typing furiously on his state of the art laptop. I went over and read over his shoulder from a respectful distance. _Naomi Misora-Joined FBI September 2001. Obtained Rank of Special agent with unusual speed. Arrested the perpetrator of the Los Angeles BB serial murder case on August 22 2002. _

_ "_But after what happened, we called her on the 28 and asked her to come home, but she said she needed some time to think things over. We tried calling her on New Year's day, but her cell phone was switched off and it's been like that ever since."

"Watari could you please send that photo to my computer?"

"Yes. What is the address you want me to send it to?" Watari prepares to send the photo.

"akanehano " That was my fake email account. Even though it was fake, it was highly secure. Meanwhile, the phone call ended.

"Yagami-San, there's no way to trace a cell phone when it's tuned off correct?" I opened the photo on my computer and accessed (cough- hacked-cough) the camera systems in Tokyo. Then I input her photo into the facial recognition software I had on my computer.

"Where did she live in Tokyo?" I ask Watari , the noises of my typing filled the room.

"573 Guré Avenue." Watari responds dutifully.

"What are you going to do?" Matsuda asked, wringing his hands nervously.

"I am running Naomi Misora's face through facial recognition and using security footage from yesterday to trace her whereabouts. It might take a while to sort through all the footage, but I should come up with something."


	4. Chapter 4

It had been two hours since I had activated the search algorithm into the facial recognition program. Matsuda, Aizawa, and Mogi went home. Detective Yagami stayed. There was a pinging sound coming from my computer.

"We have a hit." I enlarged the camera view on my computer screen. It showed a pretty woman with black hair and hazel eyes entered the NPA building. She was wearing a leather jacket and jeans.

"Ryuzaki, confirm the hit please?" He walked over and I turned the computer screen to face him.

"Yes, that's her. " Ryuzaki watched the video. "So, she did mount her own investigation."

"Look, she's leaving with someone." I pointed out the person Naomi was leaving with. He had light brown hair, but his back was turned so we couldn't see his face. Plus, there were a few other people with light brown hair in the surveillance tape. Unless we could see his face, we couldn't positively identify the person she was leaving with. We could come up with logical guesses, but they would just be guesses.

"Now, we should get more hits soon. This algorithm is designed to narrow down the search parameters to the most likely places based on the targets location and the direction they were going. Plus a lot of other things that I don't want to explain." I absentmindedly explain to Yagami.

"That is an impressive program, Takagi. Who made it?" Yagami asks, no doubt thinking to ask for permission to download and install it for use by the NPA.

"I did." Just then, a series of hits came up. The camera tracked her movements as she boarded a bus, disembarked the bus in the industrial district 5 miles from her house. The last hit was of her entering building that had no security cameras. It looked like an abandoned garbage facility. Then the hits just stopped. Without a word I hastily put on shoes, and was almost out the door before Watari stopped me.

"Takagi, don't leave without a cellphone." Dismayed, but seeing the logic behind it, I whipped around, facing them.

"In that case, I need to borrow a cellphone." I stood there, impervious to Detective Yagami's shocked stare.

"You don't have one? Why not?" I didn't respond to his question.

"Detective Yagami, lend Takagi your cellphone." Ryuzaki gestured to me.

"Well, yes of course." Yagami handed me his cellphone. I headed out into Tokyo. As soon as I left the building, the infernal device rang, a grating, annoying sound. I don't have a revulsion for sounds, but this one is different. It was the kind of sound that would get on anyone's nerves. Even people of the most even keel, like me. And, not like me. I answered, partially just to get the device to stop, and partially because it was most likely Ryuzaki, Watari or Detective Yagami calling.

"Takagi, keep the cellphone on at all times." It was Watari. "If you need anything, call." Then the call was over. _Yeah, whatever._ I stashed the phone in my pocket, and walked briskly on my way. I would have liked to be running, but running to an industrial district would be attracting attention. I followed Naomi Misora's route to where she was last seen by the cameras. I talked to no one, attracted no attention, and made it to the building within two hours. I was right, it was an abandoned garbage facility. I went in. Entering the building was easy, I just opened the door. The facility was fairly large, but also very empty. The only open exit was the one I had entered through, the rest were boarded up. I walked further into the building interior, and noticed something.

This garbage facility was equipped with garbage incinerators. I cautiously went over and inspected them. Unfortunately, I could see signs of recent use. The incinerators had incinerated something, or someone very recently. I took scrapings with the customized kit I carried with me. It was small, small enough to fit in the pocket of my sweatpants, but it was fully equipped. I deposited the scrapings in a small, sterile, sealed container and dialed Watari's cellphone. He answered promptly.

"Takagi, What is it?"

"There is evidence that the incinerators in this facility were used recently. I took scrapings. It's possible that Naomi Misora was incinerated, either by her choice, or someone else. I can conduct some tests to find out if there are traces of human material in the scrapings." I hung up abruptly, just because I could. On the way back, I stopped at a supermarket and bought the ingredients for my dinner, something I loved. As I was about to enter the hotel, the stupid device rang again. This time, it was Ryuzaki.

"Takagi, what's in the bag?

"Ingredients." I answered shortly. I opened the door to the room, hung up the phone, and handed it to Detective Yagami his phone, all with Ryuzaki standing there, a phone in his hand. Yagami left, and it was just Watari, Ryuzaki, and I. Ignoring them both, I went over to the fully equipped kitchen and started to peel the beets I bought. After that was done, I peeled carrots.

"Takagi, why are you cooking?" L peered at the beets curiously.

"I usually bring food." Watari tells me.

"I know. I always get food for myself." I continue cooking.

"You were alone." Watari notes. "What are you making?"

"Borsht."

~~Time Skip~~

I was eating the last of the Borsht I made, and testing the scrapings from the incinerator for traces of human material. I gently stirred the scrapings into the solution and waited. Sadly, the indicator turned positive. Someone, most likely Naomi Misora died by incineration. I reported the results to Ryuzaki and Watari.

"If she had started her own investigation, do you think she would have taken notes? Would there be files?" I asked Ryuzaki, since he knew her best.

"Yes, she was very organized, Naomi would have taken notes, and there would be files."

"We should go get them, see if she had any different information than us."

"Watari, will you do that?" Watari already had his coat on, and was in the process of putting on shoes.

"When Watari comes back, we're going to move to a new hotel." Ryuzaki notified me. I nodded, and the silence became heavy. I went to make sure I was packed. The news was on, it had reports on minor criminals. _I wonder if Kira will kill them too. He would probably kill Jean ValJean.__**[1]**_ I brought my suitcase out to the other room and looked around for something to read. All my books were packed and I was too lazy to unpack one, only to repack it soon after when Watari arrived. So, I sat down in the lotus position and thought.

_Raye Penber obviously had close contact with Kira. Kira must be one of the people that he was investigating. But who? If only we could set up hidden cameras and bugs without breaking the law. _Angrily, I thought to myself-_The laws are restricting our abilities to find Kira. Right now, they are a hindrance. L know this too. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he's planning to put surveillance devices in somewhere. Probably the houses of the families that had someone tailed by Raye Penber. So…The Yagami Household and the Kitamura household. The reactions will certainly be fun to watch._

* * *

[1] The main character of Les Misérables. Written By Victor Hugo


	5. Chapter 5

The hotel we had moved to was even taller than the old one. Watari had successfully retrieved some files, but they were unfinished, unorganized. It seems that Naomi Misora though that Kira was on the bus with Raye Penber, during the bus jacking. The file was shaping up to be very detailed, but that didn't happen. Currently Aizawa, Matsuda, and Yagami were here. Ukita and Mogi were working the NPA office today. As soon as everyone was mildly settled, Ryuzaki notified us of his plans. They were exactly as I suspected.

"We're narrowing our investigation to those Raye Penber was probing before the 19, before Kira started experimenting on prisoners. That's very few people. Since Kira is most likely among them, taking them in for questioning would be too dangerous. Our focus is on two NPA personnel and their families. Penber reported "No grounds for suspicion" on both of them. Nevertheless, inside those homes, we are going to place hidden surveillance devices."

Oh, yes, the reactions were fun to observe. Matsuda's jaw dropped, Aizawa's eyes bugged out, and Yagami visibly jerked back. They were very brief reactions, however.

"What? This is Japan! That's totally illegal!" Matsuda waves his hands around wildly to prove his point. Aizawa also takes a brief stand in the argument before L cuts them both down.

"Yeah! Ryuzaki, that's going too far!" If it got out, there'd be a huge scandal and we'd all get fired!" Not just that, we'd just be arrested." _Willing to risk your life, but not your job? A little skewed if you ask me. _It turns out that Ryuzaki had the exact same thought.

"So you're unwilling to risk your jobs? I thought you were willing to risk your **lives** for this." Ryuzaki cornered them with his argument.

'Who were the NPA personnel that Penber was observing?" Yagami joins the conversation. Matsuda grabs the file and freezes when he sees who the people were, or more accurately, one of the people was.

"Deputy Director General Kitamura and his family. As well as Detective Superintendent Yagami and his family. I'd like to place camera and bugs in those two homes." Ryuzaki states, looking directly at Yagami, unworried. Yagami went pale, and I saw a little sweat appear. Aizawa and Matsuda choose that point in time to restart the argument.

"But… It's an illegal violation of human rights!"

"If this gets out, they'll dismantle the task force. Takagi? Aren't you going to say anything?" I had no quarrel with what we were going to do. Even if it was breaking the law, it was to catch a murderer, and we weren't killing anyone.

"Are we committing unspeakable acts of violence for no reason?"

"Well no, but-"

"I think as long as it is about finding Kira and not anything else it is acceptable." I do not give him the help he wants.

"I promise you, nobody will ever find out." Ryuzaki assures them.

As if he's on the verge of deciding something, Yagami speaks up. "Ryuzaki…What's the probability of Kira being in one of those families?"

"…10 percent. No… five percent." Ryuzaki amends his statement.

"Just five percent? It should be at least 50 percent for a step as extreme as that." Matsuda was leaning slightly forward. The conversation went on, eventually ending with Yagami agreeing to cameras being placed in his home. During the conversation, I became absorbed in my own thoughts.

_Five percent…And each person has roughly the same chance of being Kira. I know I thought that I would choose Light Yagami for first suspect, but that was just if I had to choose. I'm going to go undercover. _I open my computer and log in, the incredibly long and complicated password masterfully typed from memory. _I'll determine the connections between the families an_d go undercover where the personal connections intersect the most._ Going undercover at a grocery store where they all go to get food would be ineffective. Let's see… Sachiko Yagami and Kitamura's wife go to see the same doctor, attend all the same social functions. (Makes sense) Sayu has no personal connections to anyone in the Kitamura family, and Kitamura and Yagami connect at their jobs. Maybe undercover at the NPA? Wait…Light Yagami is enrolling in To-Oh University. The same university that Deputy Director General Kitamura graduated from and is now an alumni of. _

"Detective Yagami, Why does your son want to graduate from To-Oh?" I rudely interrupt the conversation, but frankly, I don't care.

"Er…Well" He was taken off guard by my question." To-Oh University has one of the best programs for Law enforcement. He does want to be a detective after all. "I also think that when he was younger, Director Kitamura told him about some of his experiences. I think that's what made him want to go there in the first place. "

I snapped my computer shut, and stood up, making my way to the door. Just as I was about to leave, Matsuda had to open his mouth.

"Where are you going?"

"Somewhere." I give my cryptic answer.

"But…Where are you going?" He really wanted to know the specifics.

"Places." I change my answer just a bit, and, not wanting to be delayed any longer I left the room, heading for the To-Oh admissions office. To-Oh University was a very modern set of buildings. All shiny and angled. The admissions office was easy to find, and I was met with an eager, somewhat oblivious woman. She couldn't find her pen when it was on the desk right in front of her. She was good at her job though, and in less than an hour I was registered for the To-Oh entrance exam.

"Okay, you're all set!" She waved as I left the campus. Thinking that Ryuzaki might end up wanting to enroll too, I left with another set of forms. I told her they were for a friend. Then, I headed to the NPA to apply for an internship. This would be absolutely enjoyable.

"So, What makes you think that you out of all the students that will be coming here to apply for an internship here?" This woman wasn't any better. She was bland, just going through her life this way because she has nothing better to do.

"I know-"By the look on her face I could tell I'd offended her. I hadn't even finished my sentence and she was offended? So much for improved social skills.

"We will review your application." With that, I was ushered out of the office. Ironic, isn't it? The Detective H probably failed to get a job at a police agency. _Stupid Social Skills. Well, even if I fail to get a job, I most certainly won't fail to get into To-Oh. _

"You forgot a cellphone." Those were the first words I heard when I returned to the hotel.

"I didn't forget." The room was so cluttered you could barely see the floor. I stepped carefully, making sure not to step on the books. I could care less about the papers strewn about, but I had a reverence for books. Ryuzaki was crouching on a chair facing a monitor, watching the surveillance. It was the surveillance in Light Yagami's room, who was hiding a dirty magazine. Then he started to study, until dinner. I sat on a chair in the lotus position that had been set up next to Ryuzaki's and Detective Yagami's chairs. During dinner, Ryuzaki ran the news bulletin.

"Interpol is so stupid." Light Yagami calmly chewed his food while Sayu and Sachiko looked at him aghast.

Light continued on to explain his way of thinking. "What's the point of announcing it like this?If they send in all these detectives, they should just let them work in secret. The FBI agents were on a top secret mission, and look what happened to them. If Kira knows, he'll get them for sure."

"Oh, Yeah, I see." Sayu looks admiringly at her older brother. "You're as smart as always."

"That's why I bet it isn't even true. It's just a ruse to put pressure on Kira. But it's pretty obvious, so Kira probably figured it out." Light finished his meal and left the table, and grabbed a bag of barbeque chips. He went up to his room and started to study. We watched him for a while, until Watari came in.

"Takagi, Ryuzaki, A bank employee under suspicion of embezzlement and a purse snatcher being held in detention both just died of heart attacks."

"It's Kira!" Yagami has a very uncontrolled reaction.

"Deputy Kitamura's eldest daughter and wife watched the reports."

"Light Yagami has been studying since 7:00, and Yagami –san's wife and daughter were watching a drama, and when it ended they turned off the T.V and never turned it back on again. None of them has a cellphone or other device that receives broadcasts. None received or sent emails."

"That means my family is innocent!"

"Kira killed people for extremely minor crimes." L noted, chewing on his thumb.  
"It seems that the behavior was too good. Too perfect." I murmured to myself before inhaling 3 large lemon poppy seed scones. About an hour later, Yagami, Aizawa, Matsuda left.

"Watari, could you go get the application forms for To-Oh University?" Ryuzaki speared the end of his cake with the tiny dessert fork. I fished out the extra set of forms that I had brought back from To-Oh, and held them out to Ryuzaki.

"It seems that Takagi beat me to it." Watari rehung his cloak on the hook he took it from. Ryuzaki took the forms, a slightly surprised look on his face. The forms were filled out and mailed. L and I were enrolled in To-Oh University.


	6. Chapter 6

It was the day of the test, and I vetoed a ride from the hotel to the university in favor of walking there, and running back. I tied my running shoes, and set off at a brisk pace. I know, don't walk in running shoes, but I was too lazy to bring two pairs of shoes, (I only had two) and frankly, I didn't care. My seat was number 138. I took my seat, just in time to see Ryuzaki arrive and sit in seat 162. Slowly the testing center filled. One unlucky girl was two seconds too late and was turned away at the door. That really stunk, because her right leg was injured, and that's probably why she was late.

"You may begin your test." The proctor started the time. A moment later the same proctor yelled at Ryuzaki for sitting the way he does. I was sitting in the lotus position, but the proctor didn't notice how I sat. The questions on this test were easy, so easy that I had finished and double checked my test in an incredibly short time. I was about to leave when Ryuzaki caught my eye and signed "Wait" in American Sign Language. To anyone, even if you knew it, it looked like he was stretching his fingers out.

So, I waited. Even though I could tell he was finished, we were waiting until the time was up. (Once you were finished and handed your test in, you could leave.) Finally, timer blared, and the test was over. I got up and waited by the door for Ryuzaki to emerge. He did, quickly and I joined him as he walked to the limo he came in. If he wanted to talk, he wanted to do it in private. _So much for _running_ to the hotel._

Watari started the car. "I plan to tell Light Yagami that I'm L." Ryuzaki puts his seatbelt on. There was a click as mine slid into place. I waited for him to continue, but he didn't.

"Potassium." I turned to the window, watching the city of Tokyo ooze by. It was a short drive, but there was heavy traffic and the speed limit was pretty low on this stretch. He probably knew that by "Potassium" I meant okay. The chemical symbol for Potassium is K.

"Do you think you should reveal that you're working with me?" Ryuzaki stared at me intently as I considered my answer. _Well, we have an advantage with Kira not knowing that I'm working with L. If light is Kira than revealing myself to him would lose us that advantage. I see no reason to do that. _

"I don't think I should, but I will. Because it will rattle him if he is Kira, even if an advantage is lost. We have others." I don't bother to explain myself further.

"How old were you when I first saw you?" Ryuzaki changes the subject for some reason. I could guess, but I won't.

"16." I saw no harm in answering the question. The limo pulled up to the front of the hotel and we got out, heading inside the grand, imposing building. I was incredibly hungry, so I broke into the stash of strawberries I had brought from the market I liked so much. I had been keeping them in the mini-fridge trying to save them for as long as I could. I failed miserably. Half of them were gone by the time I was in Japan. Now there was only a box of strawberries left. However, I had shown a tremendous amount of self-control by not finishing them off all at once. As I got the strawberries out of the fridge, I could see Ryuzaki eyeing them.

I sat lotus position on the couch with my strawberries, and reviewed the case files. I was kind of trapped here now, the chance to run was lost. I noticed Ryuzaki edging closer. _Don't even try. These are mine. _He tried, I knew he would. As soon as he was close enough, he reached down and grasped a strawberry. The last strawberry. I took if rom him, but didn't eat it yet.

"Here, I'll give it to you." I gave him the strawberry. "You didn't need to take it." I turn back to the case files. Watari returned from parking the Limo, and we went over the case files some more. Watari went to sleep at 11, but neither Ryuzaki nor I slept much.

"That strawberry was good." L comments at 1:00 in the morning. "You brought it with you, correct?"

"Correct." I finished off my fourth piece of cake that Watari had ordered from room service and started another. I was eating and reading at the same time. It was a very good book called Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.[1] I liked it very much, even though I knew who killed Horace Bonepenny already. The writing was descriptive and clear. Although the book is shorter than the ones I usually read, I was enjoying it thoroughly. The rest of the night passed with us reading our books. Ryuzaki was reading a book I hadn't read before. I wanted to try it next.

Watari woke up at 7:00 in the morning. Today was the entrance ceremony for To-Oh, at 11:00. We arrived right on time, the hall was half full. We took our seats and waited. It seem that I was doing that a lot lately. The ceremony started late, due to technical difficulties. So, when the ceremony finally started, it was 12:05, I was restless. It was boring. Boring people talking about boring things. I seriously wanted to stand up, yell "MUSHROOMS!" and run out of there.

"And now it's time for the freshmen address. Our freshmen representatives Light Yagami, Hideki Ryuga, and Ryō Takagi will deliver that." _Well…Crap. I have to go up there…_ I stood up, controlling my almost overwhelming urge to leave. I followed Light and Ryuzaki up to the podium. We faced the crowd. Light was on my right, and Ryuzaki was on the left. I was wedged oh so comfortably in the middle. I went through my paces, and the stupid freshman address was over, without incident. With that, the Ceremony ended. As the people filled out, Ryuzaki got Light's attention.

"Yagami-Kun. You're the son of detective-superintendent Yagami of the NPA. Your respect for your father is only matched by your deep sense of justice. You aim to reach a leadership position in the NPA yourself, and in the past helped solve several cases. And, right now, you have a great interest in the Kira case. So, if you swear to me that you won't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you, I shall put my faith in your sense of Justice and abilities and tell you something vital to the Kira case."

"I won't tell anyone. But, is he allowed to hear what you are about to say?" Light nodded his head at me. Then he realized I was a girl. His expression changed, for just a split second.

"Sorry.I didn't really look at you." He apologized to me. Ryuzaki continued on like nothing happened. _I noticed he didn't swear not to tell. Just… noticing._

"I am L." The expression on Light's face was priceless. It was the perfect mixture of shock and disbelief. His eyes were wide, and his mouth slightly agape, but it was only there for a moment. It returned when I told him what I had to say.

"I am H."

* * *

[1] By Alan Bradley.


	7. Chapter 7

"Tennis?" I looked at Ryuzaki quizzically. We were in class at the university. He nodded.

"Light and I are going to play each other. He told me he has a friend he could team up with so we could play doubles." He ate his fifth cookie, ordered from room-service, brought from the hotel. To be honest, they were pretty crappy, but we ate them anyway.

"Fine. I'll play." I close my book. This one is The Weed that Strings the Hangman's bag. "So, when is this match?"

"Today. In 3 minutes." Ryuzaki handed me a racquet. I got up without a word and strode to the tennis courts. Ryuzaki kept pace next to me. Light was already there, along with a nice looking girl decked out in full tennis gear. She even had a visor on.

"Ryuga, Takagi, this is an old friend from middle school. Izumi Kasaya." Light waved us over and introduced the girl. She had long, wavy black hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail. Her nails were polished, a sparkly black color. She had on a whit athletic skirt and a pale, rose pink tank top.

"Hi! You must be very confident if you show up here in jeans." She completely ignores me, in favor of Ryuzaki. Then she turns to me, looking me up and down. "I see how people would think you're a guy at first. You dress, stand, and walk like a guy. But I can help you fix that." _Wow…Rude. And from the look on her face, she doesn't know._ I didn't care. But she was expecting a response.

"No thanks. I like how I am." I stood there awkwardly while she focused the rest of her attention on Light and Ryuzaki." _I'm going to beat her at this. I bet she thinks I can't play at all._

So, let's start. We're all here." She took her place on court, but Light and Ryuzaki continued talking. She looked a little foolish standing out there by herself.

"Guys! Come on!" She wined, regressing to a two-year old pouty face. She was ignored.

"So, one set. Whoever wins six games first wins. Fine with you?"

"Fine." Light responds, taking his place in front of the net. For this game, I would be in the front. Ryuzaki would be serving. Light was in the same spot on the other side, and Izumi was in the server's position. The first game started with a power serve by Ryuzaki. Izumi had no chance. She dived franticly for the ball, missing it by a mile. For all her posturing, she was not nearly as good as she thought she was. _Fifteen-Love. _

It was Izumi's serve, and she bungled it. It was an easy volley. I waited for just the right moment, judging the arc. When it was time, I swung, smashing the ball past a thoroughly surprised Light and a pissed off Izumi. She was closer to returning this one, but she failed to do so. _ 30-Love._ The game continued, with Izumi improving, but Light still scored more. These games were intense. Soon, it was the final game. Each team had won five games, and a crowd had gathered.

It was Light's serve. I was in the back. Light tossed the neon yellow-green ball in the air, and hit it with perfect timing, I could tell that he smashed the ball with all the power he could muster. Ryuzaki missed, it, swinging a fraction of a second too late. It whizzed past him, heading straight for me. I quickly took aim and swung, a little frantically. But it worked, I smashed it back, faster. Light and Izumi couldn't even react.

"Set! Won by Hideki Ryuga and Ryō Takagi, Six games to five." The person who had taken it upon himself to referee the game shouted. I heard murmurs from the crowd.

"That's it? Only one set?"

"Wow, who knew. Smart and athletic?"

_I really prefer soccer. The only reason I'm good at tennis is because I'm good at hitting things, and seeing where the ball was heading. _

"Good game." I spoke for the fourth time that day. I was talking to Light, since Izumi had latched like a lamprey to Ryuzaki. As much as I pitied him, I was amused.

"Likewise, for an amateur you're pretty good. Have you played before?"

"Four times." I answer shortly. Ryuzaki shuffled over, with Izumi bouncing after.

"Good game, Yagami-Kun." Ryuzaki hold his hand out to shake hands with Light.

"That was the first time I've played seriously in ages, Ryuga, Takagi." Light shakes hands with Ryuzaki and I.

"Good game." I offer to Izumi. But inside, I feel a tiny bit smug. She makes a disgusted noise and turns around.

"We're all pretty tired and hungry, so how about we get drinks somewhere? I want to ask you two something." Light offers.

"I have to go." Izumi makes some sort of idiotic kissy face briefly at Ryuzaki as she leaves. I think she was trying to wink at him.

"We suspect you may be Kira. Ask us anything you want." I speak absentmindedly.

"Hah, Me Kira?" Light smiles, amused.

"When she say "Suspect" it's actually a factor of one percent." Ryuzaki corrects me. _Liar. "_What I'm really hoping for is to become 100% certain that A) you aren't Kira and B) you have brilliant powers of deduction so I can ask you to help with the case."

"There are too many people around to discuss the Kira case. Let's go somewhere else."

We ended up in the University café. It was stylishly furnished, and the food was okay, all in all, your typical university café.

"You picked the perfect place for this." Ryuzaki commented.

"This is my favorite coffee shop. When you sit in the back, no one can hear what you're talking about." As light spoke I sipped my hot chocolate, and ate one of many fruits that I had purchased prior to finding a seat. This conversation was going to be thoroughly interesting.


	8. Chapter 8

"So, Yagami-kun, what did you want to ask?" I let Ryuzaki do the talking.

"That can wait until you guys are positive I'm not Kira. You go on." Light leaned back comfortably in his seat.

"In that case, May I test your reasoning abilities? Not to be rude or anything." Ryuzaki poured half the container of sugar into his coffee. He stirred it, took a taste, and then poured the rest of the sugar in.

"Sure. Sounds like fun." Light casually sipped his mocha.

"Does the fact that I told you I'm L tell you anything?" I sipped my Hot Chocolate, savoring its smoothness, waiting for Light's answer. I am patient when I deem it necessary. This was one of those times.  
"Let's see… It indicates that you hope that I can help you with the investigation. Also, that you've deduced when you tell someone who may potentially be Kira that you won't be killed. Although Takagi, it's a bit harder to pin down your motives. Plus, you may have taken steps to ensure you won't get killed. That means that even though news said that Kira only needs to know someone's appearance, maybe he needs to know something else as well. Their name. I get this from the fact that while L would use an alias anyway, you made a point of calling yourself Hideki Ryuga, someone whose name and face are known to almost everyone in Japan." Light addressed me briefly.

"Correct." Ryuzaki says, answering simply.

"Just like that? You admit I'm right?" _No need to hide it. _I stare a little dejectedly at my empty plate. Light wasn't touching his food. He had ordered a really yummy looking lemon poppy-seed scone, one I would have purchased along with my fruit if he hadn't got the last of them.

"Are you going to eat that?" I ask Light abruptly, surprising them both a little bit. They didn't expect me to speak.

"No. I snatched it and took a bite. It was sweet and lemony, just the right amount of sweet balanced with sour. The poppy-seeds added the all-important neutral flavor, and it tasted good. However, the texture was a little strange, like the dough to make the scone was watered down. It was thin, not very substantial. After a moment of silence, which was uncomfortable for me because they were looking at me_. Well, he wasn't going to eat it, and I was hungry. _Finally, the conversation started again.

"The probability that you're L is extremely low. The probability that H is a real person is also low." Light continued.

"Why's that?" Ryuzaki undoubtedly knew the answer, as did I, but wanted to hear Light's way of thinking.

"If I was L, I would think that's it's enough to have someone claiming to be L approach a person suspected of being Kira. Also, the real H probably would do the same. H is the more unknown of the too, probably of his/her own volition, if H exists. So, basically anyone could claim to be H. The real H and L need to stay safe at all times. Even when using the Police, they need to do that out of view, in the shadows."

"I see. True, anyone claiming to be L puts themselves in danger. Why would L reveal himself now, and why is H doing the same? It would be stupid for them to do such a thing. The fact the L is working with H is known only to a few people, so if someone went up to another person claiming to be H, they probably wouldn't care."

"True, but I actually think you are both who you say you are. Most people imagine L as older, more like a detective, somehow. You're too out of character to be a convincing fake, so you must be real. And, the people who have heard of H, probably imagine an older male, much like they imagine L."

"And what are the odds that H and L took that into account while choosing us?" Ryuzaki questioned.

"Well, when you start second and third guessing, it gets endless." Light sipped his beverage, laughing easily.

"Since this basically an interview, to see if we can request your help in the case, it would be rude not to show you anything at all." Ryuzaki fished out the notes and the list of FBI agents from his pocket. "This information has not been publicized. Take a look, and tell us what you think." The conversation got boring after that. Light gave all the right answers to the question asked, and behaved exactly as someone who was not Kira would act every time Ryuzaki tried to get results otherwise. It was slightly frustrating, but to be expected. I had something else to add. We were almost finished, there was a lull in the conversation. Seemingly an afterthought, I reached into the pocket of my sweatpants, pulling out a picture of Naomi Misora, and shoving it close to Light's face to disorient him.

"You know her, Correct?" It was a statement tailor made to get a reaction, not to mention, I had a feeling it was true, but of course I can't prove it without Light admitting it. Irony, huh?

"What?" He tries to swat the photo away from his face, but I withdraw to fast, noticing his facial expression. "Hmm. No, I don't know her. How's she relevant?"

"Reasons." I reply shortly, satisfied with the results my experiment obtained. A moment of silence, with both of them looking at me again as I finished off more food. Bip-Bip-Bip-Bip. Ryuzaki's cellphone rang. Another cellphone rang, it was mine, the one Watari and Ryuzaki had insisted upon. I know it's logical to carry one around, but for some reason I had a fixation against the instruments. I answered mine, and Light's cellphone rang. We all got the same news.

"Yagami-Kun, you father-"

"Had a heart attack." Light finishes. I was already out the door, headed for the hospital. _Kira? No..but..maybe._


	9. Chapter 9

The hospital Detective Yagami was admitted into was about 15 minutes away. Not wanting to draw the attention that comes with pulling up in a limo to the hospital, I hailed a taxi.

"Ibaraki Hospital." I told the driver where to go before he even opened his mouth, adding please as an awkward afterthought. Ryuzaki and Light were right behind me, and piled into the taxi. I was on the far left, with Light in the middle, and Ryuzaki on the right. As was the norm in situations like this, the silence was only broken by the driver giving updates on progress. When we finally pulled up to the hospital, I was the last one out of the cab.

Ibaraki Hospital was extremely modern, shiny and angled. We met Sachiko Yagami outside Detective Yagami's room, and gained access to it after uncomfortable and hurried introductions. Yagami was adamant about this heart attack being the result of overwork, but if you think about it in a roundabout way, it was Kira's fault too, although indirectly. But the fact is, every one of Kira's victims died, and Yagami didn't. It doesn't prove is wasn't Kira, but I didn't think it was Kira. He was alive.

"Are you sure it was overwork and not Kira?" Light presses his father.

"Light? What are you saying?!" Sachiko Yagami seems appalled that her son would make that connection, although it's perfectly reasonable to make that conclusion.

"I don't think it was Kira." I muse out loud a habit of mine from living alone, attracting unwanted attention.

"Why not?" Light peers directly at me,

"He's alive. I was just thinking out loud anyway. It might have been an attempt, but…" I wave it off, and make my exit, claiming I had to go home. I took a taxi to the hotel and changed into shorts, black, baggy basketball ones. Grabbing my Ipod and strapping it to my arm, I finally went on a long, hard run.

_I've been lying to myself again. _My thoughts raced along with me as I ran._ What's really the percentage of Light Yagami being Kira?_

_Well, we can infer that Kira's related to a member on the task force for various reasons. He had access to information, most likely from a member's computer, plus, not a single Japanese investigator has been murdered. I'm 99.99 % sure that it was Light Naomi Misora was talking to, the reaction to the photo and my question before he recovered cemented it for me. Plus Sayu doesn't seen like a killer. Also, although I may be wrong, she doesn't seem smart enough to have evaded us for so long. None of the others do. So…About 98%._

By the time I arrived back at the Hotel, I was sweaty, hot, and tired. But I was focused, energized, and exhilarated. L was back from his visit from the hospital, he looked a bit surprised when I came in. Before he could say anything I commandeered the bathroom and took a shower. When I came out I was wearing a baggy. Long sleeved neon yellow/green t-shirt with a soccer ball on it, and baggy grey athletic sweatpants.

We didn't have any work, unless we were going to review the case files again, so I holed up in my room like the recluse I am, and read manga online, watched anime, played video games, (Absolutely not romantic ones) drew, read books, mathematic and scientific journals, and ate. You know, just stuff I enjoyed and did to pass the time when life was boring.

On my fourth or fifth food run, Ryuzaki speaks to me. "You got a letter." He gets up and hands it to me. Watari's already asleep, so we're the only ones awake. 'Watari brought it in." I open the letter and start to read it.

"Ms. Takagi, we regret to inform you that someone else has been selected for the position you applied for…" I bust out laughing then, I couldn't help myself. This was hilarious, at least to me. L was shocked to say the least. This was the first time I'd laughed, let alone smiled, at all in front of him.

"Nice, H." I mutter laughingly to myself, before disappearing to my room again.

~Time Skip~

It was the 8:00 a.m news on a Friday when the videos were aired.

"Ryuzaki! Tagaki!" Watari bust in and clicked on the T.V. "Sakura T.V, Quick, you must see this." A reporter sat on a chair facing the camera, with a television next to him, displaying a screen that read:

"A message from **Kira**-Four terrifying videos." _Well, this is obviously not the same Kira. The first Kira doesn't make unnecessary movements. It could be someone trying to get in contact with Kira. _

"In other words, We are being held hostage by Kira and have no choice but to show these video. Also, we believe it is our professional duty to show them." The guy sitting on the chair continued. "I would like to emphasize that these tapes aren't being broadcast for purposes of sensationalism or a hoax."

"Held hostage?!"Aizawa yells, followed closely by Matsuda, with his own explanation.

"For days ago, an envelope containing these four videos arrived at this station, addressed to one of our directors. It was sent by Kira, without a shadow of a doubt. The first tape announced the date and time for two criminals arrested yesterday, Seiichi and Seiji Machiba. Exactly as the tape predicted, they died yesterday at 7: 00 pm of heart attacks." With a dramatic flourish, the reporter continued on. "Who besides Kira is capable of something like this? From this evidence, we have concluded that the sender was none other than Kira." He pointed out, continuing his commentary. "The envelope we received contained instructions telling us to air this, the second video at exactly 5:59 pm today. We have not seen this video ourselves, but Kira's instructions say it foretells another death, and a message to all the people of the world.

_This is can't be __**the**__ Kira. I mean, this would completely change his motus operandi. This is a different person, someone who supports the first Kira. But, It could be Kira, I can't leave any possibilities out. It might be fake, but I doubt that very much. I'll watch, and see._

"This can't be real. It's just another fake story, right?" Ukita exclaims, and I detect a small lacing of desperation in his voice.

"No way…not even Sakura would go this far." Matsuda's eyes were fixed on the T.V. The minute hand moved, marking the time as 5:59.

"It is 5:59. You will now see Kira's video." The reporter slid the tape in, and it began to play.


End file.
